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The General Assembly is <u>open to all</u>, from Tent City residents to first-time visitors. Every voice is equal, but because effectively only one voice can be heard at a time, the assembly has agreed upon a procedure to minimize chaos. If you want to speak but can't make it to Dewey Square, submit your ideas to the GA on the [[GA/Proposals]] page.
The General Assembly is a Occupy Boston wide meeting, held several evenings per week. General Assembly has three main sections: 1) Announcements - working groups and individuals have the opportunity to make announcements to the larger community, 2)&nbsp; Proposals - working groups and individual members can make proposals for the community to decide upon, 3) Individual Stack - an opportunity for members to share thoughts, opinions and&nbsp; feelings, relevant to Occupy Boston.


:''For a detailed description of the General Assembly process, please view the [[WG/Facilitation|Facilitators']] draft of [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yuWv7VZ3nS650mOdTF5kKteLrmmp8z3FiddWt6JJQVo/edit?hl=en_US Occupy Boston's Consensus Process].''<br>
General Assemblies are open to all
:''Explore the archive of [[GA/Minutes]].''


==Meeting Times==
Occuy&nbsp; Boston believes that every voice is equal, and the community has agreed upon a procedure to try to ensure that possibility. At this time, Occupy Boston uses (what some call) a modified consensus process. Calling it consensus is a bit of a misnomer, because votes are held at General Assemblies, and if a community is asked to vote, the community is not practicing consensus. Many members of Occupy Boston realize this and are discussing the best way to move forward.&nbsp; For a detailed description of the current General Assembly process, please view the [[WG/Facilitation|Facilitators']] draft of [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yuWv7VZ3nS650mOdTF5kKteLrmmp8z3FiddWt6JJQVo/edit?hl=en_US Occupy Boston's Consensus Process].
* The General Assembly meets at '''''7:00 PM tonight, Saturday Dec. 10, at the bandstand in the Boston Commons.'''''  Regularly scheduled GAs (Tuesday & Thursday, and 5:00 PM every Saturday & Sunday) are suspended for now until new space can be obtained to replace Dewey Square. Extra GAs may be scheduled for mornings when needed.
* Additional Discussions may occur on other days. Check the [[Calendar]] for all events.


==Important Aspects==
:Explore the archive of [[GA/Minutes|GA Minutes]].<br/>
There are no 'governing' authorities at the General Assembly, but there is an established process that is directed by a number trained facilitators.  
 
* Facilitators are trained to guide the assembly without imposing their personal views. Training is offered regularly for anyone interested in volunteering in this role. Check the calendar or listen for announcements of training times.  
:'''Have minutes to post?  Use the [[GA/Minutes/Guidelines|New Minutes Form]].'''
* Floor monitors help participants determine the correct method and time to speak.
 
== Meeting Times ==
 
* The General Assembly is currently meeting 2 times each month:
* The first Tuesday of each month (7-9:30pm)
* The third Sunday of each month, at 4pm (in Copley Square, right before SAA)
* Strategic Action Assemblies (SAA), to plan for Occupy Boston actions, meet on Sunday, following GA
*See the Occupy Boston [[Calendar|calendar]] for Assembly and Gathering locations
*Additional special purpose discussions may occur on other days, and will normally be announced at a prior GA. Check the [[Calendar]] for all events.
 
== Important Aspects<br/> ==
 
There are no 'governing' authorities at the General Assembly, but there is an established process that is directed by a number of trained facilitators. Facilitators are trained to guide the assembly without imposing their personal views. Anyone interested in volunteering in this role should attend a Facilitation WG meeting
 
See also more info about GA process at the [[WG/Facilitation|Faciliation Work Group]] page.
 
=== People's Mic ===


===People's Mic===
The People's Mic serves as amplification when there is no bullhorn or microphone. It is typically initiated by repeatedly yelling "Mic check!" until the crowd repeats in unison. The speaker then dictates a few words at a time, pausing for the crowd to recite each phrase. For larger crowds, there may be a second echo of each phrase by those farther out in the group. This method was designed and employed on Wall Street because electronically aided amplification was not allowed. In addition to being more fun than just listening, the People's Mic has been invaluable to the movement because repetition promotes understanding.
The People's Mic serves as amplification when there is no bullhorn or microphone. It is typically initiated by repeatedly yelling "Mic check!" until the crowd repeats in unison. The speaker then dictates a few words at a time, pausing for the crowd to recite each phrase. For larger crowds, there may be a second echo of each phrase by those farther out in the group. This method was designed and employed on Wall Street because electronically aided amplification was not allowed. In addition to being more fun than just listening, the People's Mic has been invaluable to the movement because repetition promotes understanding.


===Temperature Checks===
=== Temperature Checks ===
 
To informally assess the crowd's support for an idea, the Facilitator may request a Temperature Check. Assembly participants can show either 1. '''agreement''', by wiggling their fingers upward ("twinkling" or "jazz hands"), 2. '''disagreement''', by wiggling their fingers downward ("squid fingers"), or 3. '''neutrality''', by wiggling fingers horizontally.
To informally assess the crowd's support for an idea, the Facilitator may request a Temperature Check. Assembly participants can show either 1. '''agreement''', by wiggling their fingers upward ("twinkling" or "jazz hands"), 2. '''disagreement''', by wiggling their fingers downward ("squid fingers"), or 3. '''neutrality''', by wiggling fingers horizontally.
== General Assembly History and Documentation ==
[[GA/Minutes|Minutes]]
[http://www.occupyboston.org/general-assembly/passed-resolutions/ Partial List of Passed Resolutions] NOTE: More are coming
[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0At_g9YCAyoI9dGZ2WlRaRlNmZG9qaDVCR1htbVBiV0E#gid=0 Working List of Dates and Titles of Passed Resolutions]

Latest revision as of 08:34, 1 March 2013

The General Assembly is a Occupy Boston wide meeting, held several evenings per week. General Assembly has three main sections: 1) Announcements - working groups and individuals have the opportunity to make announcements to the larger community, 2)  Proposals - working groups and individual members can make proposals for the community to decide upon, 3) Individual Stack - an opportunity for members to share thoughts, opinions and  feelings, relevant to Occupy Boston.

General Assemblies are open to all

Occuy  Boston believes that every voice is equal, and the community has agreed upon a procedure to try to ensure that possibility. At this time, Occupy Boston uses (what some call) a modified consensus process. Calling it consensus is a bit of a misnomer, because votes are held at General Assemblies, and if a community is asked to vote, the community is not practicing consensus. Many members of Occupy Boston realize this and are discussing the best way to move forward.  For a detailed description of the current General Assembly process, please view the Facilitators' draft of Occupy Boston's Consensus Process.

Explore the archive of GA Minutes.
Have minutes to post? Use the New Minutes Form.

Meeting Times

  • The General Assembly is currently meeting 2 times each month:
  • The first Tuesday of each month (7-9:30pm)
  • The third Sunday of each month, at 4pm (in Copley Square, right before SAA)
  • Strategic Action Assemblies (SAA), to plan for Occupy Boston actions, meet on Sunday, following GA
  • See the Occupy Boston calendar for Assembly and Gathering locations
  • Additional special purpose discussions may occur on other days, and will normally be announced at a prior GA. Check the Calendar for all events.

Important Aspects

There are no 'governing' authorities at the General Assembly, but there is an established process that is directed by a number of trained facilitators. Facilitators are trained to guide the assembly without imposing their personal views. Anyone interested in volunteering in this role should attend a Facilitation WG meeting

See also more info about GA process at the Faciliation Work Group page.

People's Mic

The People's Mic serves as amplification when there is no bullhorn or microphone. It is typically initiated by repeatedly yelling "Mic check!" until the crowd repeats in unison. The speaker then dictates a few words at a time, pausing for the crowd to recite each phrase. For larger crowds, there may be a second echo of each phrase by those farther out in the group. This method was designed and employed on Wall Street because electronically aided amplification was not allowed. In addition to being more fun than just listening, the People's Mic has been invaluable to the movement because repetition promotes understanding.

Temperature Checks

To informally assess the crowd's support for an idea, the Facilitator may request a Temperature Check. Assembly participants can show either 1. agreement, by wiggling their fingers upward ("twinkling" or "jazz hands"), 2. disagreement, by wiggling their fingers downward ("squid fingers"), or 3. neutrality, by wiggling fingers horizontally.

General Assembly History and Documentation

Minutes

Partial List of Passed Resolutions NOTE: More are coming

Working List of Dates and Titles of Passed Resolutions